Locket of a Lifetime
by TheVerySpecialOne
Summary: Hepzibah smith reflect back to when she had the locket and how it changed her


A/N: this is written for the Quidditch league, in position of chaser 1 from Appleby Arrows. I had the following optional prompts:

(word) happy

(word) consolidate

(picture) preview/90-03-36/Christmas-Decorations

Enjoy!

I knew the moment I saw the locket that it was special. It had a certain appeal that no antique ever had before. It was art. Although it was in a disgustingly filthy state when I first saw it, the power it radiated was unmistakably pure. It inspired such strong emotions inside me that not even the cup did, with it's beautiful decor and proof of my heritage. This locket was grace and power all packed in a small object.

So I bought it. Payed the man a small sum, playing along with his foolish, childish view of the breathtaking item. Overjoyed is an understatement. I was euphoric. I was long gone on cloud nine and wasn't likely to return anytime soon. Inside the house I placed it in a diamond display case on top of the fireplace. It shone brightly and demanded attention every time I was in the room, called to me when I wasn't.

Despite it's unusual allure I did not touch it for a few months. However, fate had it that I was invited to a high class ball like none had seen before. I, of course, wore a beautiful, sparkling dress which outlined all my assets, and wore my best wig for the night. I was perfection incarnate. Except there seemed to be something missing, something that called to me now more than before.

I could faintly hear the clicks of my shoes in the marbled floor as I made my way into the living room. The locket shone brighter than ever, I noticed, which I did not question then. I did, however, question it's location, for it no longer was inside the display case, but instead was payed out on the small coffee table. I very angrily blamed Hokey, for she was the only one who could possibly have any access to my precious collection, and that was the limit of my thought. I have not yet discovered any other strange thing regarding this precious item, so therefore decided that it was the missing part of my outfit.

As the locket touched my chest, its gold cold against my rosy skin, an overwhelming sense of peace and excitement wash over me. I was at the party in no time, everything going exceptionally well on the way. The party was exquisite: tens of people dancing on the polished dance floor, another few on the side socialising and admiring the few rare antiquities displayed on the walls and around the room, the piece-de-resistance being, if course, the beautiful marble statue in the middle of the room.

I mingled and talked and tried so hard to show people how enticing and exotic I look and tried to show them my precious locket, but they just didn't want to listen. They scoffed and turned their gazes away. They shouldn't have. Not then. Not when the power of Salazar Slytherin took over me and made me feel as if the only way to make them see beauty is to open their eyes.

It sizzled against my skin as bodies dropped, one after the other, they're eyes wide open. As the power surged through me, never did I question it ;at the moment they deserved it. And then I went home that night, in all good spirits, and had a cup of coffee and recounted all of my plights to Hokey. It was thanks to her that I managed to calm down, for she decided together me to sleep. I agreed, fulfilled with a successful day's work and began changing in my night robes. I took the locket off last, wanting to prolong the time it stayed around my neck. The realisation of what I had done hit me full force the moment my skin no longer touched the locket.

I had the guts to go back to the so called crime scene and clean up. Because, let's be real: I wasn't going to turn myself in - the fate of too many precious artefacts relayed on me being there to care for them.

I knew then that perhaps my ne was not the right place for such an artefact- on the contrary, it should be locked up in a much safer environment than I could ever provide. Still, I did nothing about it; the locket stayed in its place on the fireplace.

After years, it became my most prized possession, along with my ancestor's cup. It came to me in dream, and showed me secrets not many know of. It showed me the right path to have a better, more functional future. This was the legacy of Salazar Slytherin and I'll be damned if I wouldn't have tried my best to make sure it was the right future for us all. I knew of Riddle before we met.

The locket showed him to me, and told me that he was the one following the one true path. So I followed the ever present whispers from the locket and decided to seek out the heir of Slytherin, the one who could open the locket.

And the heir of Slytherin did not dissappoint. He was a charming, handsome young man, with a brilliant future in front of him. And yet, I felt myself reawaken when I saw the red gleam in his eyes- I knew I made a huge mistake . This boy was full of hatred and diseased, his mind clouded by wrath. I was also aware of the fact that I was going to die soon, for there was no mistake that he planned murder.

And yet, the locket lived. And I with it.

Until it died.


End file.
